"A curse of death upon the one who kills the heir to the Canens throne."Only the Canens Curse has stopped my stepmother, Queen Blanche, from killing me. I've always thought of the Curse as my protector, but now on the eve of my coming of age, it's somehow made my life worse-if that were even possible.For despite her abundance of magic, Blanche can't find a way to kill me without evoking the Curse. Unfortunately, that hasn't stopped her from making my life absolutely miserable. First it was lying to the country about me, then imprisoning me in my rooms at the palace, and now it's selling me into slavery. I'm certain that if the Curse weren't tempering her wrath, I'd already be dead.It would almost be a relief to be enslaved, to escape the torture that daily faces me under her thumb. The only problem is, she's sold me to her huntsman-a man who would willingly give his life for hers. And I can't tell if he cares enough about Blanche to take both our lives just to secure her as Queen. Wherever his loyalty lies, I'm certain it doesn't belong to me, the true heir to the Canens throne.But as I learn the complicated new world of slavery, an enemy prince enters my lands, chasing after his wayward sister. And their journey is soon to collide with mine in the strangest of ways...